In the production of business forms commonly known as mailers, it is often very desirable to provide a carbonizing bond sheet with a carbon spot on the back of it in the interior of the outgoing envelope of the mailer so that address, or other variable information, that is to be printed on an insert within the mailer can be so-printed even after the mailer has been constructed (that is by the entity that sends the mailer to the end user). There have been many techniques for doing this in the past. In some cases, the carbon spot has been placed directly on the top ply of the outgoing envelope, however this means that the top ply must be of carbonizing bond, and the aesthetic effect of this form construction is not desirable to many users. There have been other situations in which the carbon spot sheet of carbonizing bond was distinct from the outgoing envelope top ply, however in order to ensure that the carbon sheet was not removed with the insert, the carbon sheet had to terminate short of the thumb notch associated with the tear down perf conventionally utilized for opening the outgoing envelope to facilitate removal of the insert. This provided problems in constructing the mailer, and also meant that variable information to be printed on the insert must also terminate a half inch from the end, which may be undesirable.
According to the present invention a mailer type business form is provided which allows a carbon insert to extend the complete width of the form, yet will remain within the outgoing envelope when the insert is removed by the end user. The mailer according to the invention may be produced in a simple, continuous manner to effectively provide the end features that are desirable.
According to one aspect of the present invention a mailer type business form is provided which comprises the following elements: An outgoing envelope formed by a top-ply and a bottom ply, each ply having an outside face and an inside face, and first and second side edges, and first and second end edges. First means (e.g. adhesive) for operatively connecting the top and bottom plies together along the side edges. Second means (e.g. adhesive) for operatively connecting the top and bottom plies together along the end edges. First perforation means spaced from the first end edges and generally parallel thereto, for facilitating separation of the end edges from both the plies to allow access from the first end to an interior volume between the plies. A carbonizing bond sheet having a first face and a second face and first and second ends, the second face having a carbon spot thereon extending to the first end, and the first face in contact with the top ply interior face; the carbonizing bond sheet having a width less than the width of the plies and a length less than the length of the plies. Means for attaching the carbonizing bond sheet second end to the top ply interior surface adjacent the top ply second end, so that the carbonizing bond sheet first end is adjacent the first perforation means, and the carbon spot extends to the first perforation means. And, an insert sheet, disposed between the plies and unconnected to the plies at least along the sides, the insert sheet having length and width dimensions less than those of the plies and comparable to those of the carbonizing bond sheet, the carbon spot in contact with a face of the insert sheet. Also there preferably are provided cooperating thumb perforation means formed in the top and bottom plies of the outgoing envelope and extending from the first perforation means toward the plies' second ends, and at the first end in the carbonizing bond sheet. The insert sheet is devoid of cooperating thumb perforation means. The carbonizing bond sheet second end is typically attached to the top ply interior surface by stream pasting.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making a business form from first, second, third and fourth continuous webs of paper, each web having first and second faces. The second web is of carbonizing bond and has a carbon spot on the second face thereof. The method comprises the steps of: (a) Assembling the webs together as they move in a direction of conveyance juxtaposed so that from the top to the bottom they comprise the first, second, third, and fourth webs, with the first face of each web on top. Prior to step (a): (b) Forming cooperating thumb notch perforations in the first, second, and fourth webs. (c) Applying adhesive to at least one of the first and fourth webs along the second face of the first web or first face of the fourth web perpendicular to the direction of conveyance, at the sides of a business form to be formed. (d) Applying adhesive to at least one of the second face of the first web or first face of the second web in the direction of conveyance to attach the second web to the first web along a strip. (e) Simultaneously die cutting the second and third webs, and, (f) applying adhesive to at least one of the first web second face or fourth web first face in the direction of conveyance at strips at the ends of a business form to be formed, to attach the first and fourth webs together, but not to the second and third webs. And after step (a), (g) perforating the assembled webs perpendicular to the direction of conveyance so that they are formed into discrete business forms interconnected at the perforations.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for an easily constructed mailer type business form having a carbon sheet within the outgoing envelope that is not removed when the insert is removed. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.